The draggin' coupe history

The 21st Early Holden Federation Nationals were held in Bathurst in the dying days of 2012.

The show was a cracker with a massive number of cars and spectators. The star debut was John Trunzo’s FJ coupe, originally built by Ian Bradley and made famous in the 1960s by Lance Simmers as the Draggin' Coupe.

After a stellar career on the show and drag circuits, Lance sold the car in 1973. It suffered years of neglect, until John found it and began a painstaking restoration in his shed. The effort was rewarded with the Best Radical Custom gong. You can read all about the Draggin’ Coupe’s history and revival in Street Machine Hot Rods 10, on sale in June.

About Us

Street Machine is Australia's number one modified car magazine, bringing V8-powered good times since 1981.

Our lifeblood is tough streeters, but our mission goes far beyond that, with event coverage from all over Australia and beyond, high-quality technical articles, fantastic history yarns and insane motorsports of almost every kind.

With the street machine, hot rod and custom scenes continuing to grow at a crazy rate, we are working harder than ever to shine a light on those creating mechanical masterpieces in their own sheds.